I’m working on an online program that Christians can participate in together. My first title was:
The 31 Day Challenge – 31 DAYS OF RESTORING JOY
Another title was:
1 month of intentional receiving
But there are now more than 31 affirmations, so I ‘m back to the drawing board on what title to give it. Do you have any ideas?
- What matters most today is that I belong to him.
- He knows me far better than I know myself; he knows me completely.
- God has such great love for me that He can gaze at my hidden mistrust, my evil desires and my cherished addictions without having to pretend that my character is better than it actually is. He loves me dearly.
- The tragedy of my brokenness stems largely from the splendor of His high hopes for me and how my way of thinking has wandered far from his incredible design for my existence.
- Even knowing me as He does, He accepts me fully. Unlike some earthly fathers, my Heavenly Father does not get stressed out and leave me stranded.
- The love that God has for me now is warm and generous, not reluctant
- Because He accepts me completely I can afford the risk of being honest with myself. Only when I’m nestled in the arms of his sweet acceptance can I muster the courage to gaze at the full extent of my deficiencies and cynicism.
- The voices of shame in my head are not from God, but emanate from the part of my humanity that has been tarnished by myself, others, and evil itself.
- He knows that the roots of evil in my inner life are far deeper than what I can extract with my own willpower. He is attending to the problem. I am aware of his hidden work in my character when I find myself with a new “I want to…” desire something good and right.
- God enjoys reassuring me of his deep love for me right at the moment when I am most aware of failing him and of my own inadequacies.
- The feeling of His presence in and around me is one of the sweetest experiences of life and is worth seeking. If God feels amazement it must be at my reluctance to seek His presence more often. Yet, He accepts me just the same.
- Jesus went to great lengths to secure a better life for me. He is thoroughly invested in my having day after day of abundant, satisfying living that is rich with meaning and punctuated by real happiness.
- Jesus is trying to move me into an increasing inner freedom. He would rather have me do 2 things right because I want to (freely), than 10 things good out of duty.
- When I feel alive with his presence my capacity to experience pleasure of all types is greater and more deeply satisfying.
- God is my Good and Kind Father and as such He wants good things for me.
- God has created me in His likeness and he enjoys it when He sees me experiencing all types of pleasurable experiences, relationships, activities and accomplishments…and sometimes I feel His pleasure.
- God worries more about me settling for too little than about me wanting too much. He smiles when I live passionately and pull out all the stops.
- At the same time, He desires my inner life to be one of peace rather than being driven.
- He wants me to pay attention to the quality of my relationships because He knows that authentic love brings life and healing wherever it goes.
- God created me to have vision, goals, ambitions, effective work, and achievements. He likes it when I live out the design he has for my humanity.
- The boundaries He puts on my relationships are to protect me and the integrity he desires for me. They are not intended to be dampen my true nature.
- God wants me to be realistic today. If I want to I can express my doubts, fears, frustration, and anger to him. He can handle it. I can say my unspeakable thought to Him; He is big enough to not be overwhelmed by me.
- Sufferings and disappointments will be a part of my life until my transformation is complete.
- Why God allows suffering and withholds His warm presence at times makes sense to anyone who is omniscient, but is hidden from my view in this life.
- I can be optimistic today without minimizing anything and everything that is genuinely wrong because someday I will be raised from the dead.
- Part of my journey of growth is to recover from cynicism and dashed hopes and enter into new corridors of joy in his presence.
- It is worth my time to actively seek out the sweetness of His presence.
- Long before I was born, something went terribly wrong with all of humanity. Among other things, it means that every day has frustrations. I need to stop expecting everything to run smoothly.
- I can roll with life better when I take time to put life in perspective. Waiting for Him is worth the time. Taking time to relax, time to wait for His presence is my act of faith.
- I need people in my life who help me experience fresh ways of keeping all of this in mind without trivializing the things that bother me. I need people who care about me even when it doesn’t make them feel good. I need people who track with the unfolding of my life.
- Life is messy, but Jesus is someone I can count on. His visible resurrection power in my life is not continuous; rather it is intermittent. The same is true of my share in Christ’s sufferings.
- All these considerations are not part of giant to do list for me to be constantly striving for, but they are part of what the Holy Spirit is gradually recreating in my life. It’s more about gazing than striving. (john 3:15).
